Review: Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

Yikes, it's been a while since I've posted a review! Don't worry, though, there are lots more coming soon :) Starting with this one, about Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey!

[And don't forget, today (March 15th) is the last day to enter my GIVEAWAY for a signed/personalized copy of Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins!]

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey 

A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger 

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries. 

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon. 

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Let's play a game of What-If.


Imagine, for a moment, that you're a teenage girl with a schizophrenic father. He had terrible hallucinations that eventually drove him to take his own life. And then you suddenly begin hallucinating, too.


That's exactly what's happening to Lenzi. She's scared to death because of it, and it doesn't exactly help that her mother has her own issues and her boyfriend Zak just keeps trying to shove pills down her throat.


And then Alden shows up.


Alden, who claims to know what's going on. Alden, who claims to know Lenzi. Alden, who calls her by a different name and doesn't know why she doesn't remember him from her past lives. Yeah, past lives. Lenzi and Alden have known each other for centuries, because in each of their reincarnations they join together to help lost souls resolve their problems and move on "into the light".


This is such a cool thing, I've gotta say. I know that ghost-whispering isn't precisely an uncommon occurrence in YA paranormals these days, but Shattered Souls was still unique and very cool. I fell in love with Alden from the beginning, and I definitely felt sad for him at points. (If you've read SS, you probably understand why.) I never liked Zak, though. Maybe it's because he's not the type of guy I like, or maybe just because I instantly liked Alden so much more, but I never really connected with his character. For me, he as just a roadblock for Alden and Lenzi. But then, so was Lenzi herself--that is, her past selves. (Make of that what you will.)


I loved, loved, loved watching Alden and Lenzi helping ghosts pass on, from sweet little girls to disgruntled old ladies. That, plus a mysterious "bad guy" and Lenzi's unexplained memory loss, makes for a twisty, turny, actiony book of AWESOME! 


Altogether, Shattered Souls definitely gets <*><*><*><*><*>


(:D)
~Mag